Frame anchor tool

ABSTRACT

A frame anchor tool for engaging a vehicle frame to be straightened grips the frame while pressure is applied thereto the straighten the frame. The tool has a sliding body portion with a hook thereon to engage a fixed object. The body is slotted and a bolt extends through the slot with a sliding wedge mounted on the bolt beneath the body. A spacer is mounted on the bolt to be received in one of the openings in the frame and a cam is also mounted on the bolt above the spacer. The cam and spacer are aligned and the cam inserted through the hole in the frame and then rotated over the surface of the frame to hold the tool in position. When a force is exerted on the hook the body portion slides and is wedged against the frame to hold the frame in position for straightening.

United States Patent 1 1 3,631,705

[72} Inventor Stanley A. McCaflrey FOREIGN PATENTS A 1 N 3 -1 Gulfpofl,39501 706,474 1931 France 249/219 1 g if 0 24, 1970 PrimaryExaminer-Richard J. Herbst [45] Patented Jan. 4 1972 AssistantExaminer-Donald M. Gurley Attorney-Cameron, Kerkam & Sutton [54] FRAMEANCHOR TOOL 5C|aims,4[)rawing FigS ABSTRACT: A frame anchor tool forengaging a vehicle frame to be straightened grips the frame whilepressure is ap- [52] US. Cl 72/293, plied thereto the straighten theframe The to 01 has a sliding 269/50 269/52 72/705 24/263 body portionwith a hook thereon to engage a fixed object.

[51] Int. Cl B21d 1/00 The body is Slotted and a bolt extends throughthe Slot with a [50] Field of Search 72/705, Sliding wedge mounted onthe bolt beneath the body. A Spacer 446; 254/104 133 134; 25/131 131 ismounted on the bolt to be received in one of the openin sin CP; 249/219205; 269/50 52; 24/2634 the frame and a cam is also mounted on the boltabove the 263 263 B spacer. The cam and spacer are aligned and the caminserted through the hole in the frame and then rotated over the surfaceof the frame to hold the tool in position. When a force is exerted onthe hook the body portion slides and is wedged 2,911,700 1 1959 wieland24/263-4 against the frame to hold the frame in position for straighten-3,099,062 7/1963 Bauer 249/219 R X i 7 2,059,972 11/1936 Smith et a172/705 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PATENTEUJAN 419723531705 G 0 O m O o 0 O STANLEY A .M CAP F REY WVMZ,

ATTORNEY? FRAME ANCHOR TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to metal deforming and more particularly to vehiclebody or frame straighteners.

It has been before proposed to anchor a vehicular frame to bestraightened and then to provide a pulling force to that portion of theframe to be straightened. Various apparatus have been proposed for thispurpose. It is old in the art to chain a frame to a fixed post andthereafter to exert a force on the portion of the frame to bestraightened by means of a hydraulically actuating system.Representative of the prior art patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,059,972",2,482,738; 2,597,234; 2,692,002; 2,718,913; and 3,440,856.

None of these prior art patents show the construction of the presentconcept including a hook anchor body having a bolt sliding in a slot inthe anchor body with a wedge on the bolt beneath the anchor body and apair of discs rotatably mounted on the bolt on the other side ofthe'anchor body with one disc fitting in an opening in a blind boxvehicle frame and the other disc being rotated to lock the anchor bodyto the frame so that any pull upon the hook wedges the anchor bodyagainst the frame to hold the frame so that straightening forces may beapplied thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a frame anchortool for use in the straightening of a vehicle blind box frame having ahook anchor body, a bolt sliding in a slot in the anchor body with awedge on the bolt beneath the anchor body and a pair of discs rotatablymounted on the bolt at the other side of the anchor body with one diskfitting in an opening in the blind box frame and the other disc beingrotatable to lock the anchor body to the frame whereby any pull upon thehook wedges the anchor body against the frame when applying astraightening force thereto. The bolt may be provided with a pin so thatthe bolt may be manually rotated to rotate the cam disc into position tolock the anchor body to the frame and the other disc which acts as aspacer in the opening of the frame may be provided with a projectionextending into the slot in the anchor body to prevent this disc fromrotating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference characters indicate like parts,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentconcept positioned adjacent a portion of the vehicle frame for insertionin an opening therein;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the frame anchor tool of FIG. 1 inplace holding a vehicle frame for the application of straighteningforces thereto; and

FIG. 4 is a view of a typical motor vehicle frame showing the openingsusually found in such a frame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference now to theseveral figures of the drawings, the frame anchor tool of the preferredembodiment has a wedge-shaped body portion provided with a centrallongitudinally disposed slot 11 and with holes 12 to decrease the weightof the construction. A hook 13 is secured to the underside of body 10. Abolt or link 14 passes through slot 11 and through a wedge member 15sliding on the lower surface 16 of body 10. Wedge surface 16 of body 10and the wedge surface of member 15 are oppositely inclined. A nut 17 ismounted on bolt 14 beneath wedge 15 and bolt 14 is provided with head18. A spacer disc 19 is mounted on bolt 14 and is provided with anextension 20 engaged in slot 11 to prevent disc 19 from rotation. A camdisc 21 is mounted on bolt 18 and is suitably secured thereto forrotation therewith. A manually engageable pin 22 engages in the lowerend of bolt 14 for manual rotation of the bolt.

When a vehicle frame 23 is to be straightened the disc 20 and 21 arealigned and disc 21 inserted through a suitable hole 24 in frame 23until spacer disc 19 closes hole 24. Thereafter bolt 14 is rotated bypin 22 to rotate cam disc 21 out of alignment with disc 19 and intoposition over an adjacent portion of the frame 23 thus holding body 10of the tool to frame 23.

As seen in FIG. 3, a chain is then engaged on hook l3 and to a fixedpost 25 while another chain 26 is connected to frame 23 and to arotatable arm 27. Arm 27 is rotated by a hydraulic jack 28 connected tosuitable fluid pressure providing means 29. When chain 26 applies a pullto frame 23 body portion 10 of the tool slides along the underside offrame 23 until it is securely wedged in position thereon by the actionof wedge 15 forcing body 10 into engagement with surface 16 of theframe. Further pull by chain 26 will then straighten the frame withoutbending that portion of the frame adjacent to the frame anchor tool.

FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional automotive vehicular frame showingopenings 24 as normally found therein to illustrate that the frameanchor tool of the present invention may be readily connected to thatportion of the frame where straightening forces are to be applied.

lclaim:

1. A frame anchor tool for engaging a blind box frame having openingstherein comprising a wedge-shaped body, a slot in said body, a boltpassing through said slot, a wedge mounted on said bolt beneath saidbody engaging the undersurface of said body, a nut on said bolt beneathsaid wedge, means for manually rotating said bolt, a spacer disc mountedon said bolt above said body to enter an opening in the frame, extensivemeans on said disc engaging in said slot, a cam disc on said bolt abovesaid spacer disc rotatable with said bolt into and out of alignment withsaid spacer disc and hook means on said body for fastening said body toan immovable support.

2. A frame anchor tool for engaging a vehicular frame having openingstherein comprising a wedge-shaped body, a longitudinal slot in saidbody, a link passing through said slot, a wedge mounted on said linkbeneath said body engaging the undersurface of said body, a spacer discmounted on said link above said body, a cam disc on said link above saidspacer disc, means for rotating said cam disc into and out of alignmentwith said spacer disc and means on said body for connecting said body toan immovable support.

3. A tool as described in claim 2, including an extension on said spacerdisc received in said slot.

4. A tool as described in claim 2, said spacer disc being received in anopening in the frame and said cam disc upon rotation engaging anadjacent portion of the frame.

5. A tool as described in claim 2, said wedge-shaped body and said wedgehaving oppositely inclined wedging surfaces.

1. A frame anchor tool for engaging a blind box frame having openingstherein comprising a wedge-shaped body, a slot in said body, a boltpassing through said slot, a wedge mounted on said bolt beneath saidbody engaging the undersurface of said body, a nut on said bolt beneathsaid wedge, means for manually rotating said bolt, a spacer disc mountedon said bolt above said body to enter an opening in the frame, extensivemeans on said disc engaging in said slot, a cam disc on said bolt abovesaid spacer disc rotatable with said bolt into and out of alignment withsaid spacer disc and hook means on said body for fastening said body toan immovable support.
 2. A frame anchor tool for engaging a vehicularframe having openings therein comprising a wedge-shaped body, alongitudinal slot in said body, a link passing through said slot, awedge mounted on said link beneath said body engaging the undersurfaceof said body, a spacer disc mounted on said link above said body, a camdisc on said link above said spacer disc, means for rotating said camdisc into and out of alignment with said spacer disc and means on saidbody for connecting said body to an immovable support.
 3. A tool asdescribed in claim 2, including an extension on said spacer discreceived in said slot.
 4. A tool as described in claim 2, said spacerdisc being received in an opening in the frame and said cam disc uponrotation engaging an adjacent portion of the frame.
 5. A tool asdescribed in claim 2, said wedge-shaped body and said wedge havingoppositEly inclined wedging surfaces.